Messer among featured speakers this weekend at develoment event in Dallas

Apr 27, 2012

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Tech women's basketball coach
Sytia Messer is one of eight coaches selected from across the
nation to serve as a featured presenter at the annual "A Step Up"
professional development symposiums for basketball assistant
coaches. The event will take place in Dallas, Texas at the Sheraton
Dallas Hotel, beginning this weekend with the women’s event
being Friday through Sunday. "A Step Up" Dallas 2012 concludes with
the men’s symposium May 4-6.

The three-day event, presented by Felicia Hall Allen &
Associates, will bring together coaches from all levels of
collegiate basketball, as well as Athletic Administrators and
Directors of Basketball Operations.

“We are thrilled about bringing our Professional Development
Symposium to Dallas the next two weekends, stated Felicia Hall
Allen, who along with her husband Johnny Allen, created and
facilitates A Step Up. “Typically, coaches motivate and
inspire others to achieve maximum results. A Step Up will allow
them to encourage and challenge one another to pursue their
personal best on and off the basketball court.”

A Step Up: Dallas 2012 will kick-off on Friday with an on-court
basketball skills clinic at Southern Methodist University’s
Crum Practice Facility at 1:30 p.m. Former Texas A&M University
assistant and current Mississippi State head coach Vic Schaefer
will headline the clinic, along with Bob Starkey, who replaced
Schaefer at Texas A&M, Carol Owens of the University of Notre
Dame, and Al Brown of Duke University.

Hall of Fame women’s basketball coach Jody Conradt (Texas)
will deliver the opening keynote Friday night as part of the
Legends Series sponsored by the NCAA. Conradt joins legendary coach
Marsha Sharp (Texas Tech), the featured speaker of the Legends
Breakfast on Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m.

Dr. Richard Sander, former Athletics Director at Virginia
Commonwealth University and founder of the Villa 7 program, is the
featured keynote speaker for the men’s symposium.

Another addition to the 2012 symposium is the inclusion of a
Director of Athletics panel. Chris Plonsky, women’s Athletics
Director at Texas headlines the women’s panel, while Texas
Tech Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt and University of North
Texas AD Rick Villarreal will host the men.